Paper equipment for cash registers



May 30, 1939.

Harold Wllar/f WM W May 30, 1939. H. w. CLARK 2,160,539

PAPER EQUIPMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed July 15, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ARCADE MARKET 677 MAY 5 Harald W [a r/t May 30, 1939. H. w CLARK PAPER EQUIPMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed July 15, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 amid Wlhni WN m 8 a w a Q xvi w Wm N \w 5 Q y 30, 1939- H. w. CLARK 2,160,539

PAPER EQUIPMENT FOR CASH REGISTERS Filed July 13, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 as 87 0 I 25 8 5 i M I Zjzz 135 82 5 1-7 a5 i r (X 80 5 um :1 a

67 44 3 11 l m 125 4x1 1122 75 8 81 a gmcmm Hamid Wfllar/t Stream Patented May 30, 1939 PATENT OFFICE PAPER EQUIPIHENT FOR CASH REGISTERS Harold W. Clark, Alliance, Ohio, assignor to The McCaskey Register Company, Alliance, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application July 13, 1936, Serial No. 90,282

5 Claims.

The invention relates to cash registers and the like and more particularly to paper feeding mechanism for advancing a record or detail strip and a receipt or ticket strip to printing position 6 independently of each other and in directions substantially at right angles to each other.

It is desirable that cash registers and the like as used in many lines of business be provided with two rolls or strips of paper for recording of transl actions, one strip forming a record or detail strip which is automatically rewound within the machine so as to be inaccessible to the operator, the printed portion of the other strip being adapted to be torn or cut off after each transaction, form- 15 ing a receipt to be presented to the customer.

It is known that attempts have been made to provide paper equipment for producing the above mentioned result by passing two superimposed strips of paper upward between the printing 20 mechanism and the platen roll, but unless complicated mechanism is provided for feeding the receipt strip more rapidly than the record or detail strip, a considerable wastage of paper on the record or detail strip is produced. In any event,

it is necessary that the printed receipt be manually torn from the receipt strip after each transaction. Furthermore, in such machines, every item of each transaction must be printed upon the receipt, thus producing receipts of consider- 30 able length in many cases.

The object of the present improvement is to provide paper equipment for cash registers and the like which overcomes the objections in the type of machines above referred to, which will 5 print the total only of each transaction, together with the date and serial number thereof if desired, upon the receipt and automatically cut off each receipt of uniform size.

An important object of the invention is to pro- 40 vide such paper equipment in which the record or detail strip is fed upward between the printin g mechanism and platen roll in usual and ordinary manner while the receipt strip is fed across the face of the record or detail strip in a direction 45 at right angles to the path thereof and at the proper time to have the total of the transaction printed thereon, means being provided for automatically cutting off the printed receipt from the receipt strip so that it maybe presented to the 50 customer.

A further object is to provide a plurality of control keys for totals and single item transactions, the depression of any one of which will render operative the receipt strip feeding mecha- 55 nism and the paper cut-off mechanism.

A still further object is to provide a certifying key which will render the receipt strip feeding mechanism inoperative during the recording of any total or single item transaction whereby a receipt slip or ticket may be manually placed in 5- the machine for the purpose of certifying such transaction thereon.

Another object is to provide a novel paper feeding mechanism for feeding the receipt strip across the record or detail strip substantially at right angles to the path thereof.

Still another object of the improvement is to provide a novel printing roll operated by the receipt strip feeding mechanism for printing the name of the merchant or other desired matter upon each receipt.

The above and other objects will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings disclosing an embodiment of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a plan sectional view of a cash register constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the register with parts broken away to show the connection between the 5 control keys and the feeding mechanism for the receipt strip;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary section of the receipt strip feeding and cut-off mechanism, taken substantially on the line 33, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary section of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, taken substantially on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a section taken substantially on the line 57-5, Fig. 4; r

Fig. 6, a fragmentary elevation of the receipt strip feeding mechanism showing the opposite side thereof from that shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. '7, a detail sectional view taken as on the line 'I-I, Fig. 5; 40

Fig. 8, a fragmentary sectional front elevation of the receipt strip feeding mechanism and the carriage;

Fig. 9, a section taken substantially on the line 99, Fig. 1, showing the certifying key and associated mechanism for holding the receipt strip feeding mechanism inoperative;

Fig. 10, an elevation of a receipt as printed in the machine;

Fig. 11, a top plan view of the novel printing roller operated by the receipt strip feeding mechanism;

Fig. 12, a side elevation of the same with the type band removed; 55

Fig. 13, an edge elevation of the rubber type band used upon the novel printing roller; and

Fig. 14, a front elevation of the same.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The invention is shown as applied to a McCaskey register of the general type disclosed in Johantgen Patents No. 1,306,112 and No. 1,336,840, therefore the general adding machine structure will be described only briefly, reference being made to said Johantgen patents for further disclosure thereof.

The invention is illustrated upon a machine of the hand operated type although it should be understood that it is equally applicable to the usual motor driven type in which a motor key is substituted for the hand lever.

The machine illustrated is adapted to be controlled in customary manner by the usual depressible amount keys I5 and may be provided with several banksof code number keys [6 and a bank of code letter keys I? which may be used in combination with the code number keys to indicate various code designations of goods sold or which may designate the clerk or department handling the transaction.

A bank of control keys is provided which may include the usual grand total key l8, single cash key l9, cash total key 20, single charge key 2|, charge total key 22, received on account key 23 and paid out key 24.

A certifying key 25 is one of the novel features of this machine as it operates means whereby any receipt or ticket may be manually inserted into the machine to certify a total.

As in usual practice, the main shaft 26 may be operated either by the hand lever 21 as illustrated or by the usual motor key. The main shaft has fixed thereon the main crank 28 having a roller or pin 29 thereon adapted to engage the forked lower end 30 of the crankshaft 3| to swing the same upon its pivot 32.

A rocker shaft 33 is journaled transversely through the lower portion of the machine and has fixed thereon a rocker arm 34 pivotally connected at its upper end as at 35 to the rear end of a link 36, the forward end of which is normally held upward in contact with a fixed stop 31 as by the spring 38.

A lever 39 is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 40 upon the forward portion of the link 38, the forward end of said lever normally engaging a stop roller or stud 4| upon the crankshaft 3| while the rear end portion of the lever is provided with the arcuate slot 42 which receives the pin 43 fixed upon the link 39. The rocker arm 34 is normally urged to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, carrying with it the link 36. as by means of the spring 44.

The record or detail strip D is operated in usual and well known manner and may be withdrawn from the stock roll 45 carried upon the usual spool 48 journaled upon a spindle 41 and passed down below and around the platen roll 48 as shown in Fig. 2 and then upward over the front of the platen plate 49, then over the top of the stock roll 45 and downward to the spool 59 which may be connected by a belt or the like with the platen roll 48 in usual manner so as to automatically guide said detail strip upon the spool 50 as the machine is operated.

In order to provide a double ribbon for printing both the detail strip and receipt strip with one operation of the printing mechanism, a spaced pair of ribbon spools 5| and 52 may be located at one side of the carriage and arranged to be operated in usual and ordinary manner.

The ribbon passes from the spool 5| around a post 53 and across in front of the platen roll as indicated at 54, then over the edge of a guide plate 55, around posts 56 and 51 upon the bracket plate 58, then over the post 59 and over the guide plate 6|] to the post 6|, being spaced as at 62 from the strand 54 and substantially parallel therewith, the ribbon passing from the post 6| around the spool 52.

The type bars 63 correspond in number and relative position to the banks of keys l6, ll, l5 and 24 for printing the code numbers and letters, the amount numbers and the insignia upon the control keys respectively, in usual and ordinary manner. In order to print the serial number of each transaction as well as the date, type mechanism 64 and 65 respectively may be provided to operate in usual and ordinary manner.

It has been found that the mechanism forming a part of the invention for feeding the receipt strip and cutting off the same so balances the operation of the machine that the usual dashpot is not necessary. For this reason, this mechanism is located in the space ordinarily occupied by the dashpot and is mounted upon the usual dashpot bracket indicated generally at B6. The bell crank yoke 61 is pivoted asat 68 upon said bracket in usual and ordinary manner and adapted to be oscillated as by the link 69 operatively connected to the main shaft, all as in usual and ordinary practice.

A bearing bracket 10 is fixed to the bracket 66 provided at its upper and lower ends with the angular flanges H and 12 respectively, through which is journaled the vertical shaft 13 having throughout a portion of its length a double thread 14 terminating at its lower end in vertical grooves 15. The nut 16 is mounted upon the shaft 13 and preferably provided with studs 11 received in the double thread 14 of the shaft.

The nut 16 has diametrically opposed trunnions 18 located in the vertical slots 19 of the channel-shaped link 80, the lower end of which is pivotally connected as at 8| to one arm of the bell crank yoke 61. The lower end of each of the vertical slots 19 terminates in an angular, slightly upwardly disposed notch 82. The trunnions 18 are normally held out of engagement with said notches 82 by means of the stud 83 upon the rocker arm 84 carried upon the rocker shaft 33, engaging the flange 85. The spring 86 urges the channel-shaped link toward said stud.

A collar 81 is fixed upon the upper portion of the shaft 13 and has pivoted thereon as at 88 a spring pulled pawl 89 adapted to engage the ratchet 90 upon the underside of the roller 9| which may be formed of rubber or the like and fixed upon a hub 92 rotatably mounted upon the reduced upper end of the shaft 13.

The receipt strip may be withdrawn from a stock roll 93 which may be mounted upon spindle 94 located within a housing 95 at one side of the machine, a spring 96 being preferably provided for preventing the stock roll from unwinding too rapidly. The receipt strip, as it is withdrawn from the roll 93, passes upward through a guide 91 which changes the direction of the strip and passes it between the roller 9| and the small roller 98. The roller 98 is journaled at its ends upon the spaced triangular plates 99 which are pivotally mounted as at I03 upon a stationary portion of the machine, the

springs I M normally urging the small roller 98 toward the larger roller 9| so as to grip the receipt strip R. therebetween.

The receipt strip passes from these rollers through the guide I02 and then between the stationary and movable blades I03 and I04 respectively and then between the strands 54 and 62 of the ribbon.

The movable blade I04 is pivoted intermediate its ends as at I05 to a stationary portion of the frame of the machine, a spring I06 being connected to the lower end of the blade for normally holding the same in open position as best shown in Fig. 3. A notch I01 is formed in the edge of the blade I04 at a point slightly below the pivotal point I05 in order to permit the stud or roller 83 to be received therein without operating the blade.

A cam plate I08 is pivoted as at I09 upon the lower portion of the blade I04 and normally held against the post IIO, as shown in Fig. 3,

as by means of the spring III, thus holding the cam lug H2 in the path of the pivot shaft N by means of which the bell crank yoke 61 is pivotally connected to the channel-shaped slotted link 80.

For the purpose of preventing operation of the receipt strip feed roller in the event that it may be desired to place any receipt or ticket in the machine to certify the total thereon, the certifying key 25 and associated mechanism are provided. This key is normally held in raised position as by the spring I I3 with the offset portion II4 thereof above and out of the path of the link II5 provided with the elongated slots II6 mounted upon the posts Ill and normally held in contact with the channel-shaped slotted link as by the spring I I8 which is considerably weaker than the spring 86.

When it is desired to certify a receipt or ticket by inserting the same between the ribbon strands 54 and 62, the certifying key 25 is depressed as shown in Fig. 9, preventing the channel-shaped link 80 from being pulled forward by the spring 86 so as to engage the trunnions 18 of the nut in the notches 82 of the slots I9 when the machine is operated after any one of the control keys I8 to 24 inclusive has been depressed.

For the purpose of printing the name of the merchant or other information upon each receipt, a printing roller may be attached to the upper end of the receipt strip feed roller 9I. This printing roller, as shown in detail in Figs. 11 to 14 inclusive, may be formed of sheet metal as indicated at H9 and is provided with a vertical slot I20 extending throughout its height.

A resilient or flexible strip of rubber or the like, as indicated at I2I, may be provided with type I22 upon one face thereof to print the name of the merchant or other information desired and is provided at each end with a rib I23. This provides means for easily and quickly attaching the type band to the sheet metal roller II9.

One end of the strip I2I may be inserted in the slot I20 of the roller and the strip wound around the roller, as best shown in Fig. 11, with the other end of the strip inserted through the slot, the two ribs I23 preventing the ends of the strip from being withdrawn through the slot while the resilience of the rubber type strip will cause the same to be stretched tightly around the roller II9.

In operating the machine it may be assumed that the transaction No. 677, as indicated on the detail strip in Figs. 1 and 8, is to be made by clerk C. This is a cash transaction and the several items may be entered and the machine operated in usual and well known manner.

As each item is printed upon the detail strip,

the platen roll will be automatically operated in usual and well known manner to advancev the detail strip one space. To obtain the total the cash total key 20 is depressed in usual manner before the operation of the operating handle or the motor key as the case may be.

7 The depression of this cash total key 20, or any of the other control keys I8 to 24, inclusive, will bring the stud I24 thereof into contact with the upper edge of the link 38, swinging said link downwardly upon its pivot 35 so that the forward end of the link is moved out of engagement with the stop 31, permitting the spring 44 to rock the rocker arm 34 forward, sliding the link 36 in the same direction, with its forward end below the stop 31.

This rocking of the rocker arm 34 will, through the rocker shaft 33, oscillate the rocker arm 84 upward sufficiently to move the stud or roller 83 thereon out of contact with the flange upon the channel-shaped slotted link 80, permitting the spring 86 to oscillate said slotted link sufficiently to receive the trunnions I8 of the nut "I6 within the notches 82 at the lower ends of the slots I9.

As the main shaft is operated, the crank 28 will swing the crank 3I'forward, moving the stud or roller 4| out of contact with the forward end of the lever 39 and gravity will cause the rear heavier end of this lever to drop down to the position limited by the slot 42 therein and the pin 43 on the link 36 positioning the forward end of the lever 39, in this lowered position of the link 36, so that the same will be contacted by the roller or stud 4I upon the return movement of the crank 3|.

As the main shaft is thus operated, the link 69 will be pulled forward in usual and well known manner, rocking the bell crank yoke 61 and through the channel-shape link 80, the nut I6 will be pulled downward upon the shaft I3, rotating the shaft and feeding the receipt strip between the feed rollers 9| and 98 and between the ribbon strands 54 and 62 to a position substantially entirely across the face of the detail strip, as best shown in Fig. 8, at the same time printing the name or other information as in dicated at I25 upon the receipt strip by means of the type I22 upon the printing roller. As the receipt strip reaches this position, the studs 11 in the nut will have reached the dwell I5 in the threads of the shaft 13, stopping further rotation of the shaft and thus stopping the feeding of the receipt strip. At this time the printing mechanism will be operated in usual and well known manner.

The clerk may have depressed the code letter key C before operation of the machine to record the total if it is desired that the clerks code letter appear on the receipt. With this printing op.- crat-ion, the serial number and date of the transaction will be printed as in usual and ordinary practice, as well as the clerks code letter if desired and the total of the transaction, these items being printed upon the receipt indicated at R in Fig. 10, as well as upon the detail strip.

During this operation, the pivot shaft II of the bell crank yoke 61 will have moved downward, contacting the cam lug II2 of the cam plate I08, swinging said cam plate backward W8 and through the pin ill] the lower end of the blade I04 will be swung rearwardly upon its pivot, moving the upper cutting edge thereof forward so as to out off the receipt strip at this point between the stationary and movable blades. The receipt R as shown in Fig. iii may then be removed from the machine and presented to the customer.

Upon the upward movement of the bell crank yoke 61 the shaft l3 will be rotated in reverse direction but the paper feed roller Eli will remain stationary as the pawl 85 rides around the ratchet 90 so as not to cause any reverse feeding of the receipt strip during this operation.

It is to be understood that the construction shown is for purposes of illustration only and that variations may be made in it without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described havin a main shaft, depressible control keys, at platen and type bars, a feed roller for feeding a receipt strip between the platen and type bars in a direction parallel to the platen, screw means responsive to the operation of said control keys and operated by the forward movement of the main shaft for operating said feed roller, and means operated by the return movement of the main shaft for cutting the receipt strip.

2. In a machine of the class described having a main shaft, depressible control keys, a platen and type bars, a feed roller for feeding a receipt strip between the platen and type bars in a direction parallel to the platen, screw means responsive to the operation of said control keys and operated by the forward movement of the main shaft for operating said feed roller, and means operated by the return movement of the main shaft for cutting the receipt strip, and certifying means for selectively rendering the receipt strip feeding means inoperative.

3. In a machine of the class described having a main shaft, depressible control keys, a platen and type bars, a feed roller for feeding a receipt strip between the platen and type bars in a direction parallel to the platen, a screw shaft upon which said feed roller is fixed, a nut upon said screw shaft and means responsive to operation of said control keys and operated by the forward movement of the main shaft for translating said nut to rotate the screw shaft.

4. In a machine of the class described having a main shaft, depressible control keys, a platen and type bars, a feed roller for feeding a receipt strip between the platen and type bars in a direction parallel to the platen, a screw shaft, a nut upon said screw shaft, a channel-shape link surrounding said nut and having vertical slots terminating at their lower ends in angular notches, trunniona upon the nut normally engaged in said vertical slots, means responsive to the operation of said control keys for engaging said trunnions in said angular notches, and means operated by the forward movement of the main shaft for translating said channel-shape link and said nut therewith to rotate the screw shaft.

5. In a machine of the class described having a main shaft, depressible control keys, a platen and type bars, a feed roller for feeding a receipt strip between the platen and type bars in a direction parallel to the platen, a screw shaft, a nut upon said screw shaft, a channel-shape link surrounding said nut and having vertical slots terminating at their lower ends in angular notches, trunnions upon the nut normally engaged in said vertical slots, means responsive to the operation of said control keys for engaging said trunnions in said angular notches, means operated by the forward movement of the main shaft for translatlng said channel-shape link and said nut therewith to rotate the screw shaft, and means operated by the return movement of the main shaft for cutting the receipt strip.

HAROLD W. CLARK. 

